What Are 10 Trends for CISOs in 2022?

We are getting results back from our annual Leadership Perspective Survey, which is an exciting time at Evanta. This is when we get direct input from the CISOs in our global communities about what they are focusing on, challenged by and where they plan to invest their resources this year. 

It’s exciting for us because it drives our planning of community discussions and in-person gatherings — fueling our ‘by CISOs, for CISOs’ model of creating the most relevant content possible. And, of course, the results contribute to a better overall understanding of the executives we work with daily.  

Each year, we ask CISOs about their top priorities, goals, and challenges for the year. In our initial survey results (more than 850 CISOs have already responded), there are some clear trends happening across our communities. 

These trends may provide some guidance to other CISOs as they validate or adjust their strategies — or simply feel more assured about their priorities and direction. Strategic partners looking to work with top security leaders should also take note of these trends as they provide further understanding of their customers.

Here are the top five trends for Enterprise Priorities:

1. Reducing Risk remains the #1 rated enterprise priority for two years running.

2. Driving Growth has moved into the #2 spot, coming up from the #7 spot in 2021 - the largest jump year over year.

3. Increasing Operational Efficiencies and Productivity dropped in priority slightly, moving from the #2 spot in 2021 to ranking at #3 in 2022.

4. Improving Customer Experience ranks at #4 for the second year in a row.

5. Digital Business Acceleration makes the list for the first time, ranking as the #5 enterprise priority across the globe.

Here’s a chart identifying the top three 2022 enterprise priorities for CISOs in our largest regions in North America.

These are the top five trends for CISOs’ investments in 2022:

1. 60% of CISOs have identified an increase in their operating budget for the coming year, up from 45% in 2021.

2. 62% of CISOs have identified an increase in their planned spend for 2022, which is 12% higher than in 2021.

3. Investments in Cloud Security remain the top planned spend area for the second year in a row

4. CISOs are continuing to make heavy investments in Identity & Access Management and Data Loss Prevention in 2022. In fact, 80% of CISOs with planned spend in Identity & Access Management will make their investments within the next 12 months.

5. Application Security has jumped from the #6 spend area in 2021 to the #4 planned spend area in 2022 and has been noted as the #1 investment area in San Francisco and Southern California.

Here’s a chart identifying the top three 2022 investment areas for CISOs in our largest regions.

CISOs are seeing increased responsibility to reduce risk and drive growth as they enter the next generation of digital enterprises. As organizations become more complex, CISOs have an opportunity to transform digital risk management into a competitive advantage.

Success will happen when CISOs continue to drive growth, reduce risk, and increase efficiencies and productivity, while continuing to invest in technologies that support the advancement of their business.